Passé Simple (Simple Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb brouter

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb brouter

Get the Passé Simple (Simple Past) tense conjugation of brouter. Includes a FREE downloadable reference sheet (no email required). Alternatively if you have a lot of text to check then use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!

The English translation of the French verb “brouter” is “to graze.” The infinitive form of “brouter” is pronounced as “broo-tay.”

The word “brouter” comes from the Old French “broster,” which means “to browse” or “to graze.” It is derived from the Frankish word “broskōn,” which has Germanic origins. In everyday French, “brouter” is used to describe the action of animals, specifically herbivores, feeding on grass or plants.

In the Passé Simple tense (Simple Past), “brouter” is conjugated as follows:

  • Je broutai (I grazed)
  • Tu broutas (You grazed)
  • Il/elle/on brouta (He/she/it grazed)
  • Nous broutâmes (We grazed)
  • Vous broutâtes (You grazed)
  • Ils/elles broutèrent (They grazed)

Three examples of “brouter” in the Passé Simple tense with their English translations are:

  1. Les vaches broutèrent paisiblement dans le pré.
    (The cows grazed peacefully in the meadow.)

  2. Le cheval brouta l’herbe fraîche près de la rivière.
    (The horse grazed on the fresh grass near the river.)

  3. Les lapins broutèrent les jeunes pousses dans le jardin.
    (The rabbits grazed on the young sprouts in the garden.)

Table of the Passé Simple (Simple Past) Tense Conjugation of brouter

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je broutai Je broutai de l’herbe. I grazed on grass.
Tu broutas Tu broutas dans le champ. You grazed in the field.
Il brouta Il brouta les feuilles. He grazed on leaves.
Elle brouta Elle brouta les fleurs. She grazed on flowers.
On brouta On brouta l’herbe. One grazed on grass.
Nous broutâmes Nous broutâmes le foin. We grazed on hay.
Vous broutâtes Vous broutâtes les pâquerettes. You grazed on daisies.
Ils broutèrent Ils broutèrent les buissons. They grazed on bushes.
Elles broutèrent Elles broutèrent le pré. They (feminine) grazed on the meadow.

Other Conjugations for Brouter.

Le Present (Present Tense) Conjugation of the French Verb brouter

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb brouter

Passé Simple (Simple Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb brouter (You’re reading it right now!)

Passé Composé (Present Perfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb brouter

Futur Simple (Simple Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb brouter

Futur Proche (Near Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb brouter

Plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb brouter

Passé Antérieur (Past Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb brouter

Futur Antérieur (Future Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb brouter

Subjonctif Présent (Subjunctive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb brouter

Subjonctif Passé (Subjunctive Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb brouter

Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb brouter

Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait (Subjunctive Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb brouter

Conditionnel Présent (Conditional Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb brouter

Conditionnel Passé (Conditional Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb brouter

Conditionnel Passé II (Conditional Past II) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb brouter

L’impératif Présent (Imperative Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb brouter

L’impératif Passé (Imperative Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb brouter

L’infinitif Présent (Infinitive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb brouter

L’infinitif Passé (Infinitive Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb brouter

Le Participe Présent (Present Participle) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb brouter

Le Participe Passé (Past Participle) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb brouter

Struggling with French verbs or the language in general? Why not use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!

Get a FREE Download Study Sheet of this Conjugation 🔥

Simply right click the image below, click “save image” and get your free reference for the brouter Passé Simple tense conjugation! 

Brouter – About the French Passé Simple (Simple Past) Tense

The French Passé Simple, also known as the Simple Past or Preterite, is a past tense used in written French to describe completed actions that took place at a specific point in the past.
It is not commonly used in everyday spoken language, where the Passé Composé is the preferred past tense. The Passé Simple is mainly found in literature, formal writing, and historical contexts. It has a somewhat limited use in modern French, and its conjugation can be complex.  
NOTE: To take a deep dive into all the French tenses then see our article on Mastering French Tense Conjugation.

Formation

The Passé Simple is formed by conjugating the verb according to its specific endings for regular and irregular verbs. The endings typically vary based on the verb group (i.e., -er, -ir, or -re). For example:
   – For regular -er verbs (e.g., manger, parler): Remove the -er ending and add appropriate endings, like -ai, -as, -a, -âmes, -âtes, -èrent.
   – For regular -ir verbs (e.g., finir, choisir): Remove the -ir ending and add endings like -is, -is, -it, -îmes, -îtes, -irent.
   – For regular -re verbs (e.g., vendre, attendre): Remove the -re ending and add endings like -is, -is, -it, -îmes, -îtes, -irent.

Usage

Narration

The Passé Simple is commonly used in literature to describe past events in a narrative or storytelling context.

Historical Context

It can be used in historical writing or documents to discuss events that took place in the past.
Formal Writing
In formal or academic writing, especially in essays or reports, you might encounter the Passé Simple.

Interactions with other tenses

Passé Composé

In everyday spoken French, the Passé Composé is the go-to tense for describing completed actions in the past. The Passé Simple is not commonly used in spoken language and is often replaced by the Passé Composé.

Imparfait

While the Passé Simple focuses on completed actions in the past, the Imparfait is used to describe ongoing or habitual actions in the past. They can sometimes be used together to provide a more detailed past narrative. For example, “Il lisait un livre quand il reçut un appel.” (He was reading a book when he received a call).

Conditional and Subjunctive

The Passé Simple can also be found in the conditional and subjunctive moods in formal writing. For instance, “Il faudrait qu’il partît” (He should leave, subjunctive).

Summary

The French Passé Simple is primarily used in formal or literary contexts, and its conjugation can be quite complex. In everyday spoken French, the Passé Composé is the preferred past tense for describing completed actions.

I hope you enjoyed this article on the verb brouter. Still in a learning mood? Check out another TOTALLY random French verb conjugation!

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply